About 30% of all goods exported by Africa in 2024, worth €176 billion, went to EU countries.

Exports of the current 37 GSP countries increased from €14 billion in 2002, the year after the current EBA was introduced, to €47 billion in 2025. 

Of Africa’s 55 countries (members of the African Union), 51 enjoy preferential access to the EU market. 37 of these in Sub-Saharan Africa are beneficiaries of the GSP, of which:

• 33 are EBA beneficiary countries – which means that all of their exports to the EU, except for arms and ammunition can enter the EU market without duties or quotas;
• Three – the Republic of Congo, Kenya and Nigeria – are beneficiary countries of the standard GSP (Kenya will move to trading with the EU under the Economic Partnership Agreement at the start of 2027); and
• One (Cabo Verde) is a beneficiary country of the GSP+.

The benefits of the GSP and specifically the EBA are explained further below. 

According to the WTO, exports under the EBA comprise many different products, covering 53% of all tariff lines (in 2022) – a much higher share than similar schemes offered by other countries. 

In 2024, 98% of all exports of the African GSP countries – worth €43 billion – entered the EU without paying duties.

The preference utilisation rate of African GSP beneficiary countries has increased from 69% in 2021 to 79% in 2024.

According to UNCTAD, the EBA offers the largest tariff savings in absolute terms compared to similar schemes from the US, Japan and Canada.

Currently, African exports of intermediate, capital and consumer goods to the EU are still quite limited, accounting for less than a quarter of total exports to the EU in 2024. But notably the EBA supports economic diversification as it provides duty free market access also for exports of processed agricultural products and semi-finished and finished manufactures.

Because all exports of EBA countries enjoy duty-free access to the EU, the preference regime offers a possibility for value addition and strengthening industrial production in beneficiary countries. The EBA therefore remains relevant when countries move up the value chain. This is an important difference compared to preference regimes offered by some other countries, which often apply tariff escalation, i.e. higher tariffs (or lower preferences) for processed goods.

The EBA stands out not only for its automatic eligibility, but also for its absence of an expiry date. This unique feature provides long-term certainty for investors and exporters, offering significant benefits for African beneficiary countries. By removing the need for periodic renewals typical of other GSP schemes, the EBA fosters investor confidence, facilitates strategic investment decisions and encourages the diversification of export structures.

Even when a country graduates from LDC status – recognising their economic growth and development achievements – the EBA provides an additional three-year transition period during which EBA benefits continue to apply. This helps mitigate possible trade flow shocks and allows recently graduated countries to adapt gradually to their new status.

Producers can use inputs from third countries and still use the preferences to a larger extent than in other preference regimes. For example, rules of origin for preferential exports of textiles (single transformation instead of double) and agriculture are more liberal, allowing more flexibility in sourcing raw materials.

Technical assistance provided by the EU to EBA countries further supports the creation of manufacturing industries and value addition to raw materials, thereby creating more jobs and contributing to equitable and inclusive development.

Notwithstanding the benefits and the overall high utilisation of preferences, EU preference-eligible imports from Africa that did not actually use the GSP preferences in 2024 still amounted to €1.1 billion. Traders could use preferences more especially in manufactured products – most notably machinery, transport equipment or instruments, but also products such as leather goods. Agricultural products such as fruit and vegetables also offer the potential for higher use of preferences.

There is sometimes the impression that compliance with the requirements for making use of the GSP preferences – such as proving origin – is  too burdensome or costly. In fact, for exports of up to €6,000 (value of origination products in one consignment) exporters can self-declare origin, and exporters registered in the Registered Exporter System (REX) can also self-declare origin for larger consignments. This reduces compliance costs and times.

By granting LDCs unrestricted access to one of the world's largest markets, the EBA arrangement aims to boost their exports and diversify their trade structures, thereby providing opportunities for poverty reduction, economic diversification, and sustainable development.

For more information:

• Go to the EU’s Access2Markets website with detailed information for traders.
• Or consult your country-specific page from the map and list below and get in touch with the contact points listed there.

Further relevant information is available here:

• Global Gateway in Sub-Saharan Africa
• EU-Africa Partnership